Callahan Tunnel closes Friday night for three months

The Callahan Tunnel will close at 11 p.m. Friday for three months of repairs.

Wicked Local

Writer

Posted Dec. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 23, 2013 at 11:16 PM

Posted Dec. 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 23, 2013 at 11:16 PM

BOSTON

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The Callahan Tunnel will close at 11 p.m. Friday for three months of repairs, forcing 30,000 vehicles a day onto alternate routes.
Three main detour routes have been established to handle that volume traveling to East Boston through the Ted Williams Tunnel/Massachusetts Turnpike Eastbound, over the Tobin Bridge, or for motorists coming from the north along Route 16 East to 1A South.
Commercial vehicle-only restrictions have been lifted on the eastbound South Boston Bypass Haul Road and sections of the High Occupancy Vehicle-only lane, restrictions have been lifted to assist motorists with access to the Ted Williams Tunnel to Logan Airport, East Boston and the North Shore.
Click for more detailed information on the detour routes, including printable maps.

The $19.3 million rehabilitation of the Callahan includes the replacement of the deck, curbing and wall panels. The contractor, McCourt Construction, will be paid $71,000 a day for finishing the job early, up to a four-week total of $2 million, and will lose $71,000 each day the project runs beyond March 12.

On Thursday night, sign installation will require the complete closure of Interstate 93 southbound through Boston from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Traffic will be detoured off of the highway at Exit 28 in Somerville onto surface streets and allowed to re-enter I-93 at the Haymarket on-ramp. Traffic headed for Logan Airport and East Boston will follow the posted detour by way of Route 93, Exit 18 and the Ted Williams Tunnel.

Message boards and cameras will display detour routes and relay traffic conditions along those routes. Several will suggest the best detour route to East Boston at that time.

The MBTA is expanding the hours of the Blue Line Bowdoin Station stop to accommodate customers from 5:15 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and 6:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sundays. One bus will be added on the Blue Line between 6:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. weekdays, and one on Silver Line 1 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 10 p.m. to help offeset traffic congestion expected in the Ted Williams Tunnel.

Boston Logan travelers are strongly encouraged to take Logan Express or public transportation to Logan International Airport. There are also water transportation services to the airport from Quincy, Hull and Boston.